Procedure in the production of a perfume or cosmetic



Patented Apr. 18, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HANS EISNER, OFBERLIN-TEMPELIHOF, AND HERMANN VOLLMER, OF BERLIN} HALENSEE, GERMANYPROCEDURE IN THE PRODUCTION OF A PERFUME 0R GOSMET IC No Drawing.Application filed April 20, 1929, Serial No. 356,872, and in GermanyJune 11, 1926.

Fatty oils were employed in olden times for the care of the body,especially after bathing, in order to make the skin supple. Lately theattempt has again been made to use fatty oils for the purpose, but ithas been found troublesome because the skin remains greasy for a verylong time, and on this account in particular the linen is soiled. Thissame circumstance has so far prevented the production of a serviceableperfume with an oil base.

We have found that the above disadvantages can be obviated by mixingfatty oils with a volatile or essential oil sufiicient in quantity toproduce a substantial decrease in viscosity and greater than the amountnecessary and usual for perfuming. Our invention is applicable to fattyoils of plant origin, i. e. vegetable oils, andto 011s of mineralorigin, for example parafiln Oll. Essential oils are, by themselves,clear and liquid and do not grease. If these oils are mixed with fattyor mineral oils, there is the surprising result that even relativelysmall additions of volatile oils markedly lower the viscosity of thesubstances, and that they are easily and quickly absorbed by the skin.

This alteration of the viscosity does not take place in direct ratioproportionally to the parts of e. g. paraflin oil and essential oil, butfollows a law, the course of which may be expressed by means of ahyperbolic curve.

When one sets out the viscosity of the mixture in relation to theproportionate ratio of the thin liquid ingredient, the resultant curveis in the shape of a hyperbola. Even with a minute admixture of the thiningredient the viscosity is relatively near to that of the said thincomponent. It may even occur that the viscosity of the resultant mixturefalls below that of the thin ingredient.

For instance an addition of lavender oil to a parafin oil reduces theviscosity of the mixture to half the viscosity of the parafin oil. Anaddition of lavender oil reduces the viscosity of the mixture to about aquarter. An addition of lavender oil lowers'the viscosity to about aseventh. As seen from these data the strictly hyperbolic nature of thecurve of viscosities extends only not only possess the property ofbringing about an overwhelming reduction in the viscosity of themixture, but entirely new compounds are formed. It is substantiated thatthe component parts of the mixture mutually dissolve. v

In many cases the use of essential oils is not to be recommended onaccount of their odor, or also on account of their high price,especially for technical uses. The property of reduction of viscosity bydefinite admixtures is not only essential for the employments of theafore-said substances as cosmetics or perfumes, but is also obviouslyimportant in technical connections.

Examples of substances which lend themselves readily to use in ourprocess are such essential oils as lavender oil and benzyl-benzoate. Ashas been emphasized it is important that the substances in the basic oilmutually dissolve or mix thoroughly, and show curves of viscosity in thesolution or mixture that are strongly convex in their ratio to the axisof the compound. As a rule a 5 to 10% admixture suffices to reduce theviscosity to a mere fraction of the original one. The addition of 20% ofan essential oil is usually sufficient for all purposes.

On the oils being mixed, a cloudiness appears first of all. This is ofdiiierent degrees in different oils. Under certain conditions itdisappears of itself on the mixture being left standing for a longertime. However if the essential oil is irradiated, cloudiness does notappear in the compound. Rays which act chemically, e. g. ultra-violetrays, are suitable for irradiation. A mercury quartz lamp can be used asthe apparatus in this process. The addition of essential oil alsoincreases the effect of the paraflin oil. Irradiation also promotes thiseffect.

Any cloudiness which arises in the course of mixing can be removed byheating, as well as by irradiation of the admixtural component before orafter the mixing with the basic oil.

The essential oils e. g. lavender oil, are photo-active. They canfurnish efiective oxygen or (when water is present) hydrogen.

As the essential oils generally have the property described, the mostvaried scents can be produced which is particularly important for theproduction of perfumes with a viscous base. With analogous treatment aperfume with a viscous base formssimultaneously a cosmetic.

The following example is given of a body oil serving as a cosmetic:10-30 parts of a volatile oil, e. g. lavender oil, are added to -90parts of an inactive hydrocarbon of viscous consistency, e. g. parafiinoil. The volatile oil is energized by irradiation according to thequantity added (compare below). The volatile oil or the mixture isexposed in a thin layer for five minutes to the rays of the so calledBachschen mercury quartz-lamp at a distance of 60 cms., for the purposeof clarifying and energizing it. The period of irradiation can beshortened by bringing the lamp closer. The most favourable values dependon practical experiment.

We claim:

1. As a new product suitable for use as a cosmetic or a perfume, acomposition of matter comprising an oil, selected from a groupconsisting of fatty oils and paraflin oil, admixed with from 5 to 20 percent by weight of an essential oil; the said oils being mutuallydissolved, the composition being free from cloudiness and the liquidmixtures possessing viscosities which follow a substantially hyperboliccurve.

2. The composition of claim 1 in which the essential oil is lavenderoil.

3. The composition of claim 1 in which the essential oil is lavender oiland the oil is paraflin oil.

4. As a new product suitable for use as a cosmetic, a composition ofmatter comprising parafiin oil and approximately 5 per cent by weight oflavender oil.

5. In the production of cosmetics, the proce ss which comprises adding asmall proportlon of an essential oil to an oil, selected from a groupconsisting of fatty oils and parafiin oil, and irradiating the sameuntil cloudi ness disappears and mutual solution is produced.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures.

HANS EISNER. H. VOLLMER.

